79 Capel Street

79 Capel Street
West Melbourne VIC 3003
photographer: Stephen Hatcher

Also known as
Previous Address this site had an early Victorian terrace dwelling before the current building.Source: from the 1895 MMBW map
Constructed
Style
Architect
Builder

Timelapse Building Images

2012

77 to 79 Capel Street, West Melbourne.

source: http://maps.melbourne.vic.gov.au/


Land Details

  1. Current map
  2. 1895 MMBW map
  3. Compiled Crown Record Plan
  4. 1859 report of the Government Land Sale

Building Details

A comfortable home, containing six rooms and passage, with front tiled verandah, iron palisadiug fence, oil blues tone base, bathroom and wash house, side entrance, with land 22 ft. frontage by the long depth of 113 – ft. 6 in. to 118 ft. in to a right of way.

source: The Age 1903


Subsequent Building Alterations

No Entries Found

Architectural Features



    No Entries Found


Heritage Significance and Listings

Heritage Listings and Explanatory Notes

The historic Victorian era dwelling on this land was demolished and replaced by a two storey commercial building.

Owners

FromToOwnerMore InfoData Source
to datePrivatesource: Hatcher Index
1859Mr. John Harbison, first Crown land purchasersource: Hatcher Index
abt 40 thousand years earlier1835Boon Wurrung and Woiwurrung (Wurundjeri) peoples of the Kulin Nationhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Victoriasource: Hatcher Index

Residents

FromToResidentMore InfoData Source
to datePrivatesource Hatcher Index
19601970Andrew Haluskasource: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
19451955Percy W. Mannsource: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
19401940Mrs. Grace Cribbessource: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
19351935David McGuigansource: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
19301930Joseph Leemingsource: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
19251925Frank Roachesource: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
19201920Harold Nixonsource: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
19151915John Mackinnonsource: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
19101910E. W. Courtneysource: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
19051905Martin Glennonsource: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
19001900Mrs. M. A. Hugginssource: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
18951895Samuel Gaylardsource: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.
18901890Thomas Purvissource: Sands & McDougall directory, transcribed by Anne Cronin in 2020.

Social History

1903. WEDNESDAY. 3rd JUNE. At 2 o’Clock. On the Premises, 79 Capel-street, ‘Near Victoria-street. WEST MELBOURNE. Superior BRICK COTTAGE. Under Instructions from THE TRUSTEES, EXECUTORS and AGENCY CO. LTD.

W. B. SIMPSON and SON have been favored with instructions, as above, to sell that really comfortable home, containing six rooms and passage, with front tiled verandah, iron palisadiug fence, oil blues tone base, bathroom and wash house, side entrance, with land 22 ft. frontage by the long depth of 113 – ft. 6 in. to 118 ft. in to a right of way. Remember, executors’ sale, to wind up estate. Note the position.— A first class neighborhood, within a hundred yard of the tram, close to the Victoria Market, and only a few minutes walk from Elizabeth-street and the G.P.O.

source: The Age 1903



Context and Streetscape

Precinct

This property resides within the municipality of the City of Melbourne. We respectfully acknowledge it is on the traditional land of the Kulin Nation.
source: https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/history-city-of-melbourne.pdf
historical map source: https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/search-discover/explore-collections-format/maps/maps-melbourne-city-suburbs

Zoning
This information must be verified with the relevant planning or heritage authority.

Streetscape

The streetscape can be characterised as a mix of Victorian and modern buildings. Eight of the original seventeen single-story Victorian terrace dwellings plus some double storey commercial buildings are on its western side, south of Victoria Street, while on the eastern side, the street retains sixteen of its original thirty-six, wider sized early Victorian, two storey terrace homes, as well as two story modern public housing townhouses.

Crossing over Victoria Street to the north on the eastern side, nineteen of the original thirty-two equally fine examples of early two storey Victoria terrace dwellings can be seen, dispersed by a small number of modern two storey buildings. Unfortunately, all twenty-two of the original Victorian terrace dwellings on the western side from Victoria to Queensberry streets have all been demolished, replaced by taller modern commercial buildings that are out of character with the existing surrounding Victorian architecture of this once predominantly single and double storey residential streetscape.

Heritage of note include two 2 storey terraces at 62 and 64, both have National Trust classifications and Heritage Victoria registrations. Two more include two single storey terraces dwellings at 81 and 83 that were designed by the distinguished Australian architect, Mr. George Raymond Johnson.

Other Information

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